Century Aluminum’s proposed USD 4 billion primary aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma, is “moving forward on all fronts” as the company prepares for construction, despite local opposition and legal challenges, CEO Jesse Gary said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. Developed jointly by Century Aluminum and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the project is designed to produce 750,000 tonnes of primary aluminum annually, potentially doubling U.S. primary aluminum production. The facility is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs and add USD 1.5 billion to Oklahoma’s gross domestic product, according to company estimates. The partners had targeted construction to begin by the end of 2026. However, local restrictions and permitting challenges have affected the...
Aluminium manufacturers are facing a challenge that extends across the entire production chain: improving output and product quality while making better use of raw materials, energy and existing equipment. From recovering metal from complex scrap to controlling billet solidification and achieving precision in rolled products, every stage presents technical demands that influence the efficiency and economics of the final operation. Addressing these demands requires more than conventional machinery. Equipment manufacturers are developing specialised technologies to tackle problems such as low scrap recovery, surface segregation, casting defects, unnecessary metal removal and inconsistent strip flatness. Increasingly, the focus is on improving process control, reducing production losses and...
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Aumund Fördertechnik GmbH, the German-based producer of conveying technology will be delivering an arched plate conveyor to Mytilineos S.A. in Agios Nikolaos on the Gulf of Corinth (Greece). The location, at which the Mytilineos metallurgy and technology group operates a plant, produces aluminium in a two-step process. After the mining and processing of the bauxite, Mytilineos generates alumina from the enriched ore, which forms the basis for the electrolytic production of metallic aluminium in Agios Nikolaos. As this is a specialized requirement in terms of both the material and the application, so the conveying process in the plant consists of discharging bauxite from a silo, and onward transportation to a rod mill by an arched plate conveyor type BPB 250-1200. In designing the Arched...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, inventories of aluminium billet in China continued to decline for the fourth consecutive week due to greater deliveries and reduced arrivals. Stocks of 6063 aluminium billet across five major consumption areas in China stood at 174,200 tonnes as of Thursday, 02 April 2020, a decrease of 18,500 tonnes from March 26. This followed the stocks dropped 4,900 tonnes in the week ended March 26. The chart below indicates the current status of aluminium billet inventories across China in more details: Inventories of aluminium billet in Foshan, Wuxi, and Changzhou came in at 74,400 tonnes, 51,620 tonnes, and 25,330, down 5,400 tonnes, 1,970 tonnes, and 2,380 tonnes from March 26. The stocks in Huzhou and Nanchang and decreased by 5,000 tonnes and 3,730 tonnes...
CRISIL estimates the Indian automobile industry, including components, to be less likely to recover in the financial year 2021 from the toll taken by the COVID19 outbreak. The rating firm noted the coronavirus outbreak might have two challenges. Earlier than anticipated closure of Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) can lead to unsold BS-IV inventory, and anticipated retail sales may result in higher-than-normal BS-VI inventory for large passenger vehicle OEMs at the start of the fiscal. Remaining of sizeable inventory after one of the worst financial years in two decades in 2020 was already a burden on the automobile industry. A double-digit decline in sales and liquidity crisis in the second half of the year resulted in high inventory levels. Adding to it, demand shrank as a result of the...
At the desert complex of Saudi Arabia’s north-eastern Gulf coast, refineries, smelters and casting machines transform dull pink rocks into silver aluminium bars, a symbol of the kingdom’s attempt to diversify its economy. After only two years in operation, the $10.8 billion aluminium project at Ras al-Khair, an industrial city 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of the oil hub of Dammam, is already the world’s largest integrated aluminium facility. Aluminium is the company’s single-largest cash generator, at 4.8 billion riyals ($1.3 billion) in revenue in 2015, and mining is a pillar of Saudi Arabia’s shift away from oil. The Kingdom’s aluminium ingot export has been showing dip, as between 2017-19 it reflected an unsteady export demand, whereas in 2020 it has been projected a decline of...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, stood at 1.676 million tonnes in the week ended April 2. That was up 9,000 tonnes compared to a build of 20,000 tonnes in the previous week. The chart below shows the current status of the primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: Primary aluminium stocks in Shanghai and Wuxi increased by 11,000 tonnes and 9,000 tonnes from March 26 to stand at 169,000 tonnes and 661,000 tonnes on Thursday, 02 April 2020. Stocks in Hangzhou stood at 143,000 tonnes, an increase of 11,000 tonnes. But the inventories in Nanhai, Gongyi, Chongqing dropped by 10,000 tonnes, 6,000 tonnes and 4,000 tonnes from last week to stand at 431,000 tonnes,...
The coronavirus pandemic is likely to create a further impact on China’s aluminium exports as a greater part of the world has come under lockdown to contain the spread of the virus. According to a report on Wednesday, Vietnam, a major buyer of Chinese aluminium, has entered into 15 days nationwide isolation. Residents can only step outside for essential needs such as food, medicines, and urgent medical services, or may go to work at companies permitted by the government to remain open. Vietnam took the call for isolation after many European and American countries, who are also the major importers of Chinese aluminium, went into virus containment lockdowns, slowed business production, and kept people at home. Data from China customs showed that around 11 per cent of China’s exports of...
On 01 st April’20 Arconic Corporation rolls-out as a leader in advanced aluminium sheet, plate, extruded and architectural products that primarily advance the ground transportation, aerospace, industrial, packaging, and commercial building markets. The Company’s common stock will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "ARNC" at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on 1st April '20. The parting of the ways of Arconic Inc. into two standalone companies – Arconic Corporation and Howmet Aerospace Inc. (the new name for Arconic Inc.) – took effect today through a pro-rata distribution by Arconic Inc. of 100% of the outstanding shares of the newly-formed Arconic Corporation. Arconic Inc. stockholders received one share of Arconic Corporation common stock for every four shares...
The US dollar advanced against a basket of major currencies on Wednesday, April 1. The US dollar index was up 0.6% at 99.52. Aluminium extended its decline to a four-year trough and shed 2% on the day. The SHFE kept its night trading session suspended. Three-month LME aluminium extended its decline and touched a four-year trough of US$1,483.5 per tonne in early North American trading hours. It closed at $1,495 per tonne. Shanghai Metals Market expects the contract to trade at US$1,480-1,530 per tonne today. As on Wednesday April 1, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1463.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1463.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1498 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1498 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1628.50...
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), on 01 st April’20, declared in a statement that it has recorded a three-sixty degree success in bauxite and alumina productions in the fiscal year 2019-20. The company has utilized its full capacity at Panchpatmali mines and achieved bauxite production of 7.30 million tonnes. This is the highest ever production since the journey of Nalco started. The officials of Nalco said: “the bauxite transportation of the company has increased to an all-time high of 7.30 million tonnes”. Nalco’s alumina refinery has raised the bar by reaching its highest ever production of 2.16 million tonnes of alumina hydrate. The steam and power plant (SPP) of the refinery has also achieved the highest-ever net power generation. Despite all these, the aluminium smelter of...
After continuous declines in the second half of the last month, the average alumina spot price in China started the fourth month of 2020 with a downfall of RMB 10 per tonne, and today on the second day the fall extended by RMB 66 per tonne to stand as low as RMB 2,267 per tonne, found Shanghai Metals Market. The weaker demand for domestic alumina in the Chinese market has been pushing the price down. Also, the decline in alumina export from China has resulted in higher stocks while the demand is low. So, the combination of higher inventories and lower demand has further triggered the downward trend of the alumina price in China. Today, on April 2, the north China has seen the highest downfall in alumina spot price by about RMB 70 per tonne to RMB 2,250 per tonne, followed by the central...
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has started a preliminary anti-dumping investigation in regards to the imports of common alloy aluminium sheet from 18 countries, including Germany, Oman, Bahrain, Serbia, Croatia, Romania, Turkey and Slovenia. On 31st March’20, ITC stated that the investigation focuses to examine whether there is a sensible indication that an industry in the U.S. is materially injured or threatened with the material injury because of imports of common alloy aluminium sheet. The Commission started the probe on 9 th March and must reach a preliminary determination in antidumping and countervailing duty investigations in 45 days or this case by April 23 rd . The investigations follow petitions filed by the U.S. Aluminum Association’s Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet...
Africa produced 127,000 tonnes of primary aluminium in February 2020. That was unchanged from 2019. The output reduced by 6.62 per cent from January 2020’s production of 136,000 tonnes and 8.63 per cent from December 2019’s production of 139,000 tonnes, according to the latest data showed by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). Aluminium production came in at 263,000 tonnes in the first two months of 2020 as compared to 267,000 tonnes in the first two months of 2019. That was down 1.5 per cent year-on-year. IAI reported that primary aluminium production in Africa came in at 1.643 million tonnes in 2019 as compared to 1.668 million tonnes in 2018. That was down 1.5 per cent year-on-year.
The Argentine giant Aluar Aluminio Argentino SAIC has been slashing production at one of its aluminium plants amid close-down related to the coronavirus pandemic apart from the indication that global light metal production is slowing down. The Buenos Aires-based producer said in a statement that “it is reducing production by an additional 25% at its Puerto Madryn plant in the south, in response to country's nationwide shutdown.” As per the government’s notice companies in core businesses can continue to operate, but must take mitigation measures, including employing as few people as possible. Following a similar cut this month, Aluar said “it had now put 50% of its capacity in Puerto Madryn out of business. The plant has a total capacity of 460,000 tonnes and produced 427,000 tonnes in...
The average spot alumina price in China has extended drop by RMB 10 per tonne from Tuesday to stand at RMB 2333 per tonne on Wednesday, 01 April 2020. Alumina prices have decreased across in East and Central markets in China. The prices of alumina in East and Central markets have dropped by RMB 20 per tonne and RMB 10 per tonne to stand at RMB 2330 per tonne and RMB 2340 per tonne. Alumina-North and Alumina-South remain unchanged at RMB 2320 per tonne and RMB 2520 per tonne. Australian alumina FOB price stands USD 6 per tonne lower at USD 252 per tonne on Wednesday, 01 April 2020. A00 aluminium ingot price stands RMB 40 per tonne higher at RMB 11520 per tonne on April 1, from its previous price of RMB 11480 per tonne. This marks the second consecutive hike in aluminium price. The price is...
The economy of Belgium is a modern, capitalist economy. It has capitalised on the country's central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base. Belgium is the first country to undergo an industrial revolution on the continent of Europe in the early 19th century and has since developed an excellent transportation infrastructure of ports, canals, railways, and highways to integrate its industry with that of its neighbours. Belgium has mastered its industrial sector by importing raw materials or semi-finished goods and converting them to full finished goods for export-ready. The country’s total export of Aluminium Plates, Sheets and Strips during 2017-19 was recorded at 797,424 tonnes, while revenue earned in this time stood at...
After raising the benchmark for two consecutive months, Shandong Weiqiao Group, the top aluminium producer in China, has cut its benchmark purchasing price for prebaked anode. For April 2020, the company has reduced the benchmark purchasing price by RMB 170 per tonne to RMB 2,660 per tonne in cash. The decrease in price is due to a plunge in prices of petroleum coke, a raw material for anodes, according to Shanghai Metals Market. The prebaked anode price in the Central has recorded a drop of RMB 170 per tonne to RMB 2,890 per tonne on April 1, after remaining flat at RMB 3,060 per tonne since March 2. The price is likely to move within a range of RMB 2,710- 3,070 per tonne. The markets in the southwest and northwest China have also witnessed a decrease of RMB 170 per tonne each to RMB...
The US dollar fell against a basket of major currencies on Tuesday, March 31. LME aluminium closed 0.2% lower overnight. The SHFE kept its night trading session suspended. Three-month LME aluminium slipped to its lowest since April 2016 at US$1,507 per tonne in the North American trading session. According to Shanghai Metals Market, it closed the day lower at US$1,525.5 per tonne, to produce a monthly decline of 10.3%, the biggest monthly percentage decrease in almost a decade. As on Tuesday March 31, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1489 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1489 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1524 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1524 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1650 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands...
The Australian mining and metal company Australian Bauxite has started to increase its production to support fertilizer production in Tasmania. The Australian securities exchanges listed (ASX) Australian Bauxite company declared that it has started the delivery of 800 tonnes of its special fertilizer bauxite as part of an ongoing contract to regularly supply bauxite to a fertilizer production plant operated by Impact Fertilizers in Hobart. This “just in time” delivery of fertilizer grade bauxite by ABx was required by Impact Fertilizers before Friday 3 rd April because its stocks of ABx’s special bauxite product were low and production would have been curtailed, affecting its 50 direct employees, its supply of fertilizer to the agricultural industry and also interrupting Impact’s supply...
